Sunday, July 03, 2011

Moss Points North

SWEET DISCOVERY - I've spent a lot of time writing about music that's dark, brooding and sinister lately (see The Horrors, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling and Cat's Eyes). I seem to have failed to notice that, at least some of the time, it's summer here in Boston. All these bands, better heard in darkened rooms while sheltered from blasting snow, need to be balanced out with something light - something with some joy in it.

Enter local band Moss Points North, whose debut EP, "The Ghost at the Feast," offers just the sort of fun I need to lift me from my ennui. MPN open their album with a track that doesn't really get started for a minute or so. In the interim we hear what sounds like bird song, and then the slow rise of a delicately tapped out beat. This pacing sets the tone for lots of the rest of "The Ghost at The Feast:" MPN are happy to take their time, and revel in their opportunity to divert us.

NAME YOUR PRICE - This EP does build in complexity. There are moments with brass sections added and with quite complex, off-tempo guitar solos for example. But while "The Ghost at The Feast" has depth, it never really leaves its initial tone of slight airiness, and that gives the whole experience of listening to it a simple enjoyment, even for someone as cynical and jaded as I am.

So, the angst-ridden may feel Moss Points North are not the band for them. In the end though, perhaps they are the ones who should be first in line to get this EP, and get some sharp relief from their rage, in sunnier climbs. [Ed's Note: Moss Points North are One to Watch - great new sound!!]